Block guard



Oct. 31, 1933. E. E. GRES/E 1,933,011

BLOCK GUARD -Filed March 19, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l E. E. GREVE Oct. 3l, 1933.

BLOCK GUARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1931- INVENTOR @MQW C@ 3L 1933c E. E. GREVE 1,933,011

Y BLOCK GUARD Filed March 19, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 w g I ILL IIIIIIllllflllllllllllllllll g L l y i I. 5 l

l L s l Q Q i w s Rl I; i FH L i A N l m s li| x .l i

Q YT* M a il. llilllllllllllllllllllllll Patented Oct. 3l, 1933 BLOCK GUARD Edgar E. Greve, Bellevue, Pa., assignor to Oil Well Supply Company, il City, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application Much 19,1931. serial No. 523,157

1s emma (crm-191) This invention relates to a guard protecting the sheaves of a block.

Block guards must be so arranged as to efflciently guard against accidents during use of g the block; and yet the guards must permit Stringing of the wire rope through the block. This wire rope is not particularly flexible and diiiculty is often encountered when an attempt is made to string the wire rope through the 3,@ sheaves of the block without completely dismantling the block guard.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of block guard which does not necessitate the removal of the entire guard in order to assemble the wire rope with the block. A further object of my invention is to provide a block guard, the central portion of which is intended to remain a permanent part of the block and which shall have guiding portions for assisting in Stringing the wire rope through the sheaves. In accordance with my invention, the block guard comprises a central portion and one or more removable lateral portions. In the particular construction shown in the drawings, the central portion acts as a hood and covers the upper half of the block; and the sides of the block are covered by removable portions attached one on each side of the block. It will be understood that my invention provides an improvement in guards which may be employed in the construction of guards for traveling blocks, crown blocks, and other types of blocks. For purposes of illustration, however, I have selected a traveling block and have shown in the drawings one preferred embodiment of guard for a traveling block. It is to be understood, however, that this illustrative embodiment is not intended as a limitation to my invention.

in the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a traveling block provided with a guard constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation, half of the block being shown in vertical section on the axis of the sheaves;

Figure 3 is a sectional view o the central portion of the block guard taken in the same plane as the left portion of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional View at right angles to Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view in elevation from within one oi the lateral portions of the block guard;

Figure 6 is a plan view of this lateral portion of the block guard; and

Figure 7 is a sectional View on line VII-VII of Figure 5, the lateral portion of the block guard being shown in assembled relation with the central portion and the lateral portion being shown in dotted lines in the position assumed by the same when being removed from or assembled no with the central portion.

As a traveling block has been selected for illustrating my invention, it should be noted that a traveling block as used in oil eld operations moves up and down with the load. The travel- 65 ing block is used in conjunction with a crown block which is stationary and located at the top of a derrick. To the lower end of the traveling block may be attached a hook or other means for carrying the load which is to be handled.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, my improved traveling block comprises side plates 11 and a center pin 12 on which the sheaves 13 of the block are rotatably mounted. The plates 11 are locked in assembled relation with the center pin 12 by 76 nuts 14 on the ends of the pin 12. A lock washer l5 is secured in locking relation with the nut 14 by a screw 16, threaded into an opening in the side plate 11.

The traveling block shown in the drawings comprises upper and lower clevises. The lower clevis pin 18 is secured in assembled relation with the side plates 11 by nuts 1Q and locking means 20 similar to the locking means for the nut 14. Separator plates 21 are interposed between the sheaves 13 and extend between the upper and lower clevis pins. These separator plates assist in carrying the load which is suspended from the lower clevis pin. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the load is suspended from a link bar 23 swung from the lower clevis pin 18 by a pair of links 24. The link bar 23 is connected to the links 24 by pins 27 secured by nuts 28. Each of the links 24 is slotted as at and cut away as at 26, so as to permit the links to swing relative to the separator plates 21 and the side plates 11. The bottoms of the slots are oppositely slanted so that when the links 24 are swung into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the bottom of the traveling block may rest on the ground and the links will provide a rest for bracing the block in vertical position. These blocks are relatively quite heavy; and this means for supporting the block in vertical position considerably facilitates Stringing of wire rope through the sheaves.

The upper clevis pin 30 assists in securing together the side plates l1. Spacers surround the pin 30 for spacing the plates 2l. The inner spacers, which are indicated by the numeral 31, 110

are separate elements and engage with their ends the separator plates 21. The outer spacers are, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, formed integral with the central portion of the guard 33.

This guard `comprises a central portion or hood 34 which covers the upper portions of the sheaves 13. 'I'his central portion 34 is connected with the clevis pin in the manner above indicated through being formed integral withthe outer spacers. It is also formed with an opening 35 to which may be connected the means for handling the block, as, for instance, the dead line.

As shown more particularly in Figures 3 andl 4, the central portion of the guard comprises elongated fingers 37 which leave between the same slots 38 which register with the sheaves 13. The fingers 37 are provided with inwardly extending ribs 39 which are in alinement with and cooperate with the separator plates 21. As shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, there is not sufllcient clearance between the ribs 39 and the separator plates 21 to permit the wire rope to become displaced.

The lateral portions of the sheaves are protected by light plates 40 which are also provided with inwardly extending ribs'4l. 'I'hese ribs are coextensive with the ribs 39, as indicated in Figure 1, and assist in preventing displacement of the rope. The plates 40 are provided with lugs 42 which hook beneath a shoulder 43 provided in alinement with the lugs 42 on the side plates 11. The portions 42 and 43 provide for interlocking the plates 40 and the side plate 11. In order to assemble the plates 40 with the hood, the plates 40 are placed in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure l and are then swung about the junction between the two portions of the guard to iull line position. The lugs 42 secure the plates 40 from separation outwardly from the side plates 11. Since, as indicated in Figure '1, the plate 40 overlaps the lower extended ends of the ribs 39 on the hood 34, the lower ends of the hood 34 are also secured against lateral displacement. A bolt 44 is passed through lugs 45 on the lower end of the plate 40 and extends through the side plates 11 to fasten the lower portions of the plates 40 to the side plates 11. Nuts 46 secure the bolt 44 in place.

When it is desired to string the lines through the sheaves, the links 24 are swung to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The block is then lowered until it is self-supporting. The bolts 44 are then removed and the plates 40 are swung outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 7, and removed. It is not necessary to remove or in any manner change the hood or central portion 34 of the guard, since it is readily apparent that not only do the spaces 38 permit the rope to be passed around the sheaves, but the ribs 39 and separator plates 21 assist in guiding the rope around the sheaves. When the rope has been strung, the plates 40 are replaced by rst bringing them to the dotted line position shown in Figure '7 and then swinging them to full line position. 'Ihe bolts 44 then secure the plates 40 to the block.

It will be noted that the guard comprises a central portion which is a part of the upper clevis; and that the lateral portions of the guard (in the embodiment illustrated, these lateral portions are the plates 40). are easily removable, so that the rope may be strung about the sheaves 13. 'Ihe separator plates cooperate with the ribs 39 and 41 to,provide a rigid structure and also as sist in guiding the rope when the same is being strung about the sheaves.

While I have illustrated and described one specific form of block, it will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular construction and arrangement shown, but may be variously modified within the contemplation of the invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a block having a plurality of grooved sheaves. a block guard comprising a central portion extending downwardly and outwardly in opposite directions and a lateral portion for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said central portion being provided with elongated lateral openings registering with the grooves of the sheaves.

2. In combination with a blockhaving a plurality of sheaves, a block guard comprising a central portion extending downwardly and outwardly in opposite directions and a removable lateral portion for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said central portion being provided with elongated ilngers leaving slots between the same registering with the sheaves.

3. In combination with a block having a plurality of grooved sheaves, a block guard comprising an integral central portion having elongated lateral openings open at the lower end registering with the sheaves, and supplemental portions separable from the central portion, said supplemental portions being disposed on opposite sides of the sheaves and overlying the grooves of the sheaves.

4. In combination with a block having a plurality of sheavesvand a separator plate between adjacent sheaves, a block guard having a removable portion provided with an inwardly extending rib alined and cooperating with the separator plate.

5. In combination with a block having a plurality oi' sheaves and a separator plate between adjacent sheaves, a block guard having elongated lingers leaving slots between the same registering with the sheaves, one of said lingers having an inwardly extending rib alined with and cooperating with said separator plate.

6. In combination with a block having one or more grooved sheaves, a block. guard comprising a central portion constituting the clevis of the block and a pair oi.' removable lateral portions for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said lateral portions being disposed on opposite sides of said sheaves.

7. In combination, a traveling block having one or more sheaves and a guard, said guard comprising a hood portion disposed above the sheaves and constructed to constitute a clevis, said guard having a plurality of slots terminating at its lower edge.

8. In combination, a traveling block having one or more sheaves and a guard, said guard comprising a hood portion disposed above the sheaves and constructed to constitute a clevis, and a pair of removable guard plates disposed on opposite sides and cooperating with the hood portion.

9. In combination with a block having a plurality of grooved sheaves and a pair of side plates,

a guard comprising a hood portion covering the tops of the sheaves and separable lateral portions for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said lateral portions being inserted between the side plates when assembled with the block.

10, In combination with a block having a plu- 15C rality of grooved sheaves, a block guard extending around a major portion of the periphery of the sheaves, said guard comprising a central portion said portion having sides extending down- Wardly and outwardly over the peripheries of the sheaves, the lower ends of the sides being slotted and a pair of separable portions abutting said central portion.

ll. A block guard for a block having grooved sheaves, comprising a central portion having ngers separated by elongated openings registering with the grooves of the sheaves and a pair of separable lateral portions for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said lateral portions being disposed one on each side of the central portion and each overlapping the central portion.

12. A block guard for a block having grooved sheaves, comprising a central portion having :lingers separated by elongated openings registering with the grooves of the sheaves and a pair of separable portions opposed to each other and disposed one on each side of the central portion, said three portions extending in all around a major portion of the periphery of the sheaves.

13. In combination with a block having grooved sheaves, a guard comprising a central portion and .a pair of separable lateral portions for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said lateral portions being removably secured in position on the block, one on each side of the central portion and each overlapping the central portion at a point approximately on a horizontal line through the center of the sheaves for locking the same in place when assembled therewith.

14. In combination with a block having holding means and grooved sheaves, a block guard comprising a central portion and a pair of separable lateral portions for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said lateral portions having lugs for hooking under the holding means on the block, said three portions extending in all around a major portion of the periphery of the sheaves.

15. In combination with a block having holding means and grooved sheaves, a guard comprising a central portion and a pair of opposed separable lateral portions for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, at least one of said lateral portions overlapping the central portion and engaging under said holding means to assemble the guard with the block.

16. In combination with a block having holding means and grooved sheaves, a block guard comprising a central portion and a separable lateral portion for overlying the grooves of the sheaves, said lateral portion interlocking with said holding means and means intermediate the ends of said lateral portion for preventing longitudinal movement of said lateral portion.

EDGAR E. GREVE. 

